The official start to summer is always one I look forward to, as it means we are just getting into the heart of outdoor activities and fun in the sun! However, if you are like me, all of that time outdoors can wreck havoc on hair. With that in mind, today I thought I would share my haircare essentials and the steps I take for my daily haircare routine to achieve smooth waves and frizz-free hair. In addition, I am hosting a $1000 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway which is in it’s final week! If you haven’t entered yet, you can do so below! Read on for more…

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Happy first week of summer! There are so many things about this season that I love; from the beautiful weather that makes getting outdoors SO much easier (obviously); to more frequent get-togethers with friends and family; to outdoor fairs, festivals and concerts. One thing, however, that is always a struggle is having consistently good hair days. I have a LOT of hair that is very fine and has quite a bit of uneven, natural wave; so the heat, humidity, and overall abuse it takes during the summer months can wreck havoc on my locks and make it frizzy and unruly. While it is still a work in progress, I have found a few tricks and essential products that help make for much happier hair all year round, and I thought the start of summer would be a good time to share my daily hair care process with you!

I know this might be “gross” to some, but I try not to wash my hair every day. In fact, if I can, I like to go 2-3 days between washings (thank you dry shampoo!) and air dry when possible.

I have been using products from Aveda for years, and even when I stray (and I have tried it all), I seem to always come back. The Aveda Smooth Infusion line has been a lifesaver for me! I always wash and condition with the products from this line, and I use their treatment masque once every 1-2 weeks.

After washing, I comb everything out with a wide tooth comb and towel my hair with a microfiber turban, leaving it on for about 5-10 minutes. I have found that this helps tremendously with drying time and frizz. Since doing this I have cut at least 10 minutes from my drying time.

If I cannot air dry my hair (and even when I do, I dry my crown and bangs so they have a bit of lift and lay the way I want), I rough dry my hair with my Fromm dryer. This dryer has an ion-control button – this has not only shortened my drying time, but it also controls frizz which is amazing. Plus, this dryer is affordable for a salon quality dryer.

After rough drying, if I want a smooth finish and have more time, I round brush in sections and hit my hair in a downward direction with the “cool shot” on my dryer to set and add shine. I also back comb at the crown if it is a day I need more lift.

I like to keep things really simple with styling tools because I hate having to deal with too many gadgets, and I am super uncoordinated when it comes to the use of hair wands and other tools. With that said I only use a medium-large barrel Hot Tools curling iron (currently using 1/1/4″ barrel).

I curl my hair in sections, brushing each section I pick up, and alternating directions – usually for every two curls away from my face I do one toward my face. I also switch up using the iron as a normal iron vs. wrapping around the outside like I am using a hair wand, the latter giving more “undone” beachy waves. No matter what, I always leave the bottom 2 inches out of each curl.

THERE ARE TWO SECRET “KEYS” I HAVE FOUND TO ACHIEVE THE CURLS I WANT. First, after creating each wave, I pull down on the section and hold for about 5 seconds. I am not sure why this works, but it relaxes and “flattens” the curl just enough. Second, I never mess with the curls until my hair has cooled off. This is hard to do, but it sets the style.

Finally, I run my fingers through each section (leaving some untouched), separate, and “mess it up” to fit the look I am going for. If I feel like it looks too polished I sometimes run the edge of the curling iron barrel up and down the curl while I pull the section of hair down.

I finish things off with either Aveda Air Control or R&Co hairspray, and I sometimes add a finishing oil to the ends if it looks a little dry.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and I hope you were able to take away some ideas that you can incorporate into your own daily hair care routine! As always, I would love to hear from you – feel free to leave a comment or question! Don’t forget to scroll down and enter the $1000 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway if you haven’t had a chance to do so… this is the last week! 🙂

Wishing you a blessed day,

Heather

Now…it’s time for a fabulous giveaway!
I’ve teamed up with an amazing group of bloggers
to give YOU a chance to win:
a $1,000 Nordstrom Gift Card, just in time for the Anniversary Sale!

Simply enter below by completing the rafflecopter.
You’ll receive one entry per completion.
This giveaway is open internationally and runs until 7/3.
Winner will be announced here. Good Luck!